What is happening in this passage about Jesus and the Last Supper?

This passage shows Jesus sharing a final meal with His twelve disciples on the night before His death. As they eat, He tells them that one of them will betray Him, which fills them with sorrow and self-doubt. Jesus identifies the betrayer in a quiet, personal way while still carrying on with the meal. During this same meal, He takes bread and a cup, gives thanks, and ties them to His body and blood that will soon be given for the forgiveness of sins. After they sing a hymn together, they leave for the Mount of Olives.

Why did Jesus say, "One of you shall betray me," and how did the disciples respond?

Jesus says, “One of you shall betray me,” right in the middle of sharing the meal. He is not guessing; He already knows what Judas is planning and that His path to the cross is set. The disciples are deeply troubled by this. Instead of pointing at each other, each one asks, “Lord, is it I?” This shows they know their own weakness and do not trust themselves completely. Their sadness and questioning are an example of honest self-examination before God, in contrast to Judas, who hides his plan and still asks, “Master, is it I?” with a hard heart.

What does Jesus mean by "He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish"?

The phrase “He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish” refers to someone sharing the same dish at the table, a sign of close company and friendship. Jesus is saying that the traitor is not an outsider, but one who eats with Him and has been invited to His table. It does not mean the disciples all saw Judas’ hand at that exact moment as a clear signal, but it points to the shocking nature of the betrayal. A companion, one who shares bread with Him, will turn against Him, which makes the treachery especially painful and serious.

Why does Jesus say it would have been good if the betrayer had not been born?

When Jesus says, “It had been good for that man if he had not been born,” He is stressing how serious it is to betray Him. His death will happen as part of God’s plan, but that does not excuse Judas’ choice. Judas is fully responsible for his sin. The saying points to the heavy judgment that waits for someone who turns against the Son of Man in this way. Life is a gift, but it can be thrown away by hardening the heart against Jesus. These words are meant to be a sober warning about the weight of sin and the reality of God’s judgment.

What does "This is my body" and "This is my blood of the new testament" mean?

When Jesus says, “This is my body” over the bread and “This is my blood of the new testament” over the cup, He is tying these simple things to His death. The bread is a sign of His body that will be given up, and the cup is a sign of His blood that will be poured out. The wording can sound difficult, and faithful readers have understood it in more than one way. But in this passage the clear idea is that the bread and cup are a visible way to remember and receive, by faith, what His body and blood do for us, especially the forgiveness of sins in the new covenant.

What is the "new testament" or new covenant in Jesus’ blood?

The “new testament” or new covenant in Jesus’ blood means a new way God relates to His people, grounded in Jesus’ sacrifice. In earlier days, covenants were often confirmed with blood. Here Jesus says His own blood is shed “for many for the remission of sins.” That means forgiveness is no longer pictured only by animal sacrifices and the old Passover lamb, but is truly gained by His death. His blood marks a new agreement from God’s side, where sins are forgiven through Him. The Lord’s Supper keeps this before our eyes, showing that our hope rests on what Jesus has done.

Why does Jesus say He will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the Father’s kingdom?

Jesus says He will not drink “of this fruit of the vine” again until He drinks it new with His disciples in His Father’s kingdom. This shows that His death is very near, and that this is a kind of last cup before the cross. At the same time, it points forward to a future shared joy with His people. He is looking beyond suffering to a coming day of full fellowship in God’s kingdom. For believers, this gives hope that the Lord’s Supper not only looks back to the cross, but also ahead to a final, joyful gathering with Jesus when all His work is complete.

How does this passage shape how believers should approach the Lord’s Supper today?

This passage shows that the Lord’s Supper is not a casual snack, but a holy meal tied to Jesus’ death. The disciples’ question, “Lord, is it I?” teaches self-examination. Before taking the bread and cup, believers should search their hearts, admit sin, and look to Jesus for mercy. At the same time, the meal is a gift, not a test of worthiness in ourselves. Jesus gives bread and cup to weak, fearful disciples, reminding them that His body and blood bring forgiveness. So Christians should come humbly, honestly, and thankfully, remembering His sacrifice and trusting His promise of the new covenant.

What does this passage teach about God’s plan and human responsibility?

In this passage Jesus says that the Son of Man goes “as it is written of him,” showing that His suffering and death follow God’s plan set out long before. God is not surprised by the betrayal. Yet in the same breath Jesus says, “Woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed.” Judas is not a robot; he chooses to betray Jesus and is held fully accountable. So we see both truths side by side. God can work out His saving purpose even through human sin, but that never excuses the sin. People remain responsible for what they freely choose to do.

Matt.26.20

Matthew 26:20

KJV

Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.

The Last Supper

The Last Passover

20 Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.

And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?

And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.

The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.

Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.

The Lord’s Supper Instituted

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.